第54章 小精灵山丘 The Elfin Hill（2 / 2）
he told of the salon that leapsthe rhg waters, while the water-god pys on his golden harp.
他说起明亮的冬夜，那时雪橇的铃铛响个不停，男孩子们举着燃烧的火把在光滑的冰面上奔跑，冰面如此透明，他们能看到鱼儿在脚下穿梭。
he spoke of the bright ter nights, when the sledge bells are rgg, and the boys run with burng torches across the sooth ice, which is so transparent that theysee the fishes dart forward beh their feet.
他把一切都描述得如此清晰，以至于听的人仿佛都能亲眼看到；他们能看到锯木厂在运转，男仆和女仆们在唱歌，还在跳着欢快的舞蹈 —— 突然，老妖怪给了那位老精灵少女一个吻，一个非常热烈的吻，而他们俩几乎还算不上熟人呢。
he described everythg so clearly, that those who listened uld see it all; they uld see the saw-ills gog, the n-servants and the aidens sgg songs, and dang a rattlg dance, — when all at ohe old gobl gave the old elf aiden a kiss, such a trendo kiss, ahey were alost strao each other.
接着小精灵姑娘们得跳舞了，先是按常规方式跳，然后是跺脚舞，她们跳得非常好；随后是艺术独舞。
then the elf girls had to dance, firstthe ual way, and then with stapi, which they perford very well; then followed the artistid solo dance.
天哪，她们的腿甩得可真带劲！没人能说清这舞是从哪儿开始，又到哪儿结束的，甚至也分不清哪是腿哪是胳膊，因为它们全都一起飞舞着，就像锯木坑里的刨花一样！然后她们转得那么快，连死神之马和坟场之猪都觉得头晕恶心，不得不离开餐桌。
dear , how they did throw their legs about! No one uld tell where the dance begun, or where it ended, nor deed which were legs and which were ars, for they were all flyg about together, like the shavgsa saw-pit! And then they spun round so quickly that the death-horse and the grave-pig beca sid giddy, and were obliged to leave the table.
“停！” 老妖怪喊道，“这就是她们唯一会干的家务活吗？除了跳舞、甩腿和制造旋风，她们还会干别的吗？”
“S!” cried the old gobl, “is that the only hoe-keepg theyperfor?they do anythg ore than dand throw about their legs, and ake a whirld?”
“你马上就会看到她们还能做什么。” 精灵王说。
“You shall soon see what theydo,” said the elf kg.
然后他把他最小的女儿叫到跟前。
And then he called his you daughter to hi.
她苗条又白皙，像月光一样，是所有姐妹中最优雅的。
She was slender and fair as oonlight, and the ost graceful of all the sisters.
她把一片白色的木片含在嘴里，立刻就消失不见了；这就是她的本事。
She took a white chipher outh, and vaantly; this was her acplishnt.
但老妖怪说他可不希望他的妻子有这样的本事，还觉得他的儿子们也会有同样的反对意见。
but the old gobl said he should not like his wife to have su acplishnt, and thought his boys would have the sa obje.
另一个女儿能让一个和她一模一样的身影跟着她，就好像她有影子似的，而妖怪一族可从来都没有影子的。
Another daughter uld ake a figure like herself follow her, as if she had a shadow, whione of the gobl folk ever had.
第三个则完全是另外一种类型；她在沼泽女巫的酿酒坊里学会了如何用萤火虫给小精灵布丁添加装饰。
the third was of quite a different sort; she had learntthe brew-hoe of the oor witch how to rd elf puddgs with glow-wors.
“她会是个好主妇。” 老妖怪说，然后用眼神向她致意，而不是为她的健康干杯，因为他不太喝酒。
“She will ake a good hoewife,” said the old gobl, and then sated her with his eyes steadher health; for he did not drk uch.
这时第四个女儿来了，拿着一架大竖琴准备弹奏；当她奏响第一个和弦时，每个人都抬起了左腿（因为妖怪们都是左腿发力），奏响第二个和弦时，他们发现自己都得按她的要求去做。
Now ca the fourth daughter, with a rge harp to py upon; and wheruck the first chord, every one lifted up the left leg (for the gobls are left-legged), and at the sed chord they found they t all do jt what she wanted.
“这是个危险的女人。” 老妖怪说，然后两个儿子走出了小山丘；他们已经受够了。
“that is a dangero woan,” said the old gobl; and the o sons walked out of the hill; they had had enough of it.
“下一个女儿会做什么呢？”老妖怪问道。
“And whatthedaughter do?”asked the old gobl.
“我学了所有挪威的东西，” 她说，“而且我绝不嫁人，除非我能去挪威。”
“I have learnt everythg that is Nian,” said she; “and I will never arry, unless Igo to Norway.”
然后她最小的妹妹悄悄对老妖怪说：“那只是因为她在一首挪威歌曲里听到，当世界毁灭时，挪威的悬崖会像纪念碑一样屹立不倒；她想去那儿，这样她就能安全了；因为她太害怕沉沦了。”
then her you sister whispered to the old gobl, “that is only becae she has heard,a Nian song, that when the world shall decay, the cliffs of Norway will rea standg like os; and she wants to get to Norway, that she ay be safe; for she is so afraid of skg.”
“哦！哦！” 老妖怪说，“她是这个意思呀？嗯，那第七个也是最后一个女儿能做什么呢？”
“ho! ho!” said the old gobl, “is that what she ans? well, whatthe seventh and st do?”
“第六个应该在第七个之前呀。” 精灵王说，因为他会数数；但第六个女儿不肯上前。
“the sixth es before the seventh,” said the elf kg, for he uld re; but the sixth would not e forward.
“我只能告诉人们真相。” 她说，“没人关心我，也没人为我费心；我光忙着缝我的寿衣就够忙的了。”
“Ionly tell people the truth,” said she. “No one cares for , nor troubles hiself about ; and I have enough to do to sew y grave clothes.”
于是第七个也是最后一个女儿来了；她能做什么呢？嗯，她能讲故事，你想听多少就讲多少，什么题材都行。
So the seventh and st ca; and what uld she do? why, she uld tell stories, as any as you liked, on any subject.
“这是我的五根手指，” 老妖怪说，“现在给我每根手指都讲一个故事。”
“So are y five fgers,” said the old gobl; “now tella story for each of the.”
于是她抓住他的手腕，他笑得差点喘不过气来；当讲到第四根手指时，上面有一枚金戒指，好像它知道要有婚约似的。
So she took hi by the wrist, and he ughed till he nearly choked; and when she ca to the fourth fihere was a g on it, as if it khere was to be a betrothal.
然后老妖怪说：“抓紧你所拥有的：这只手是你的了；因为我要你做我的妻子。”
then the old gobl said, “hold fast what you have: this hand is yours; for I will have you for a wife yself.”
这时小精灵姑娘说，关于无名指和小彼得?普莱曼的故事还没讲呢。
then the elf girl said that the stories about the rg-fger and little peter pyan had not yet been told.
“我们冬天再听那些故事，” 老妖怪说，“还有关于冷杉树和白桦树的故事，以及鬼故事，还有刺骨的寒霜的故事。
“we will hear thethe ter,” said the old gobl, “and also about the fiir and the birch-trees, and the ghost stories, and of the tglg frost.
你来讲故事，因为那边没人能讲得像你这么好；我们会坐在石头房子里，松木块在那里燃烧着，用挪威古代国王的金酒角喝蜂蜜酒。
You shall tell your tales, for no one over theredo it so well; and we will sit ione roos, where the pe logs are burng, and drk ad out of the golden drkg-horn of the old Nian kgs.
水神给了我两个酒角；当我们坐在那里时，尼克斯会来拜访我们，还会给你唱所有山间牧羊女的歌。
the water-god has givewo; and whe there, o paya visit, and will sg you all the songs of the ounta shepherdesses.
我们会多么开心啊！鲑鱼会在瀑布中跳跃，撞击着石壁，但它进不来。
how rry we shall be! the salon will be leapg ierfalls, and dashg agast the stone walls, but he will not be able to e .
住在古老的挪威确实很惬意。
It is deed very pleasant to liveold Nor> 可那两个小伙子在哪儿呢？”
but where are the ds?”
他们到底在哪儿呢？哦，正在田野里跑来跑去，吹灭那些好心来举着火把的鬼火呢。
where deed were they? why, runng about the fields, and blog out the will-o’-the-wisps, who so good-naturedly d brought their torches.
“你们在搞什么鬼把戏？” 老妖怪说。
“what tricks have you been pyg?” said the old gobl.
“我给你们找了个妈，现在你们可以从你们的姨妈里挑一个（做媳妇）。”
“I have taken a other for you, and now you ay take one of your aunts.”
但这两个年轻人说他们宁愿发表演讲，为他们的友谊干杯；他们可不想结婚。
but the youngsters said they would rather ake a speed drk to their good fellowship; they had no wish to arry.
然后他们发表演讲，举杯祝酒，还把酒杯倒过来，示意已经喝空了。
then they ade speeches and drank toasts, and tipped their gsses, to show that they were epty.
接着他们脱掉外套，躺在桌子上睡觉；因为他们已经完全把这儿当成自己家了。
theook off their ats, and y down oable to sleep; for they ade theselves quite at ho.
而老妖怪则和他年轻的新娘在房间里跳舞，还和她交换了靴子，这可比交换戒指时髦多了。
but the old gobl danced about the roo with his young bride, and exged boots with her, which is ore fashiohan exgg rgs.
“公鸡打鸣了，” 那位担任管家的老精灵少女说，“现在我们得把百叶窗关上，免得太阳把我们晒伤。”
“the ck is crog,” said the old elf aiden who acted as hoekeeper; “now we t close the shutters, that the sun ay not srch .”
然后小山就关上了。
then the hill closed up.
但蜥蜴们还在那棵有裂缝的树上跑来跑去；其中一只对另一只说：“哦，我可太喜欢那个老妖怪了！”
but the lizards tio run up and down the riven tree; and one said to the other, “oh, how uch I leased with the old gobl!”
“我更喜欢那俩小伙子，” 蚯蚓说。但可怜的家伙，它什么都看不见。
“the boys pleasedbetter,” said the earth-wor. but then the poor iserable creature uld not see.